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"He looked at me and said, 'If you're gonna play here, you're gonna play all the sports,'" Crumpler said of the spring of 1984.

Crumpler had just moved to Wilmington from Greenville in the second semester of his sophomore year of high school and enrolled at New Hanover. Miller, the football coach and athletic director at the time, wanted to make sure the school's newest athlete – with eyes solely on the football field – knew how things worked at New Hanover.

"We've always been convinced that playing multiple sports is good," Miller said. "We believed in sharing athletes. Alge came in with a very, very good reputation."

As Crumpler went in search of a spring sport, he found an unexpected gem on the track. Crumpler excelled immediately in throwing events, eventually winning three state titles in discus and one in shot put.

Crumpler also played basketball for the Wildcats, but football always mattered most.

He attended North Carolina and was taken in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons to start a 10-year pro career with four Pro Bowl selections.

On Sunday, he will be inducted into the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall Of Fame. It marks a celebration of his achievements and a return to the home Crumpler thought, for part of his life, to which he would eventually return.

Coming to Wilmington

Crumpler had a tough time dealing with his move to Wilmington. His parents were separating, and Alge and his younger brother, Bryan, moved with their mother.

Crumpler's older brother, Carlester Jr., was playing at East Carolina and on his way to an NFL career of his own while staying near their father, Carlester Sr., who played four seasons in the NFL.

"Moving to Wilmington was one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make," Crumpler said. "My dream was to play ball somewhere my dad could watch me play every single week. It was extremely tough. But by the time I started working out with the football team, I started to acquire some really strong friendships that allowed me to get comfortable and adapt. They were kind of like my family away from home."

At the beginning of his junior year, Crumpler met Andy Mitwol. Despite being two years older than the freshman, they instantly became friends. Mitwol also played football, and he remembers Crumpler as outgoing and personable from the day they met.

"We became friends, and he was just so smart," Mitwol said. "Obviously he was athletic. But just extremely smart. I remember he would help me with my physics homework."

In addition to his throwing events, Crumpler also ran the 100 meters and 4x200 relay.

"What was so neat about Algernon, if something was hard, he wanted to do it," said Chuck Bishop, who coached Crumpler in track. "He wanted to do it better than anyone. He wanted to prove he could do it."

After his successful sophomore track season, Crumpler showed up for football ready to play. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Crumpler was a coach's dream. He had the size and skill to contribute in many different ways, but Miller wanted to make Crumpler earn his time.

New Hanover was in the midst of a wildly successful run, and Miller wanted Crumpler to understand.

"We won probably 46 out of 51 games prior to him coming, and we had some nasty buggers, too," Miller said. "He came in with a pretty good reputation, and our guys kind of got after him a little bit.

"He was coming to a pretty good program where it wasn't just he was going to dominate."

But he did. Crumpler lined up almost anywhere on the field – linebacker, defensive end, fullback, tight end, running back – and colleges took note.

Crumpler's athletic exploits were surpassed only by his demeanor: humble, outgoing and eager to make friends.

"I remember the day he walked into the office to sign in," said Vertha Dixon-Wright, the longtime girls basketball coach. "He was huge. He was a big kid. He didn't even know me. He just gave me a little smile.

"He would always just walk into the gym and say, 'Good morning, coach.'"

Even though he never received instruction from her in class or on the field, Crumpler made sure to find Dixon-Wright whenever he was in Wilmington, and he and Mitwol have remained close.

"It was such a joy to see him succeed," Dixon-Wright said. "And for a student who I never had in class, I would have done anything for him. I was probably just as proud as his mom was just to see him succeed."

Moving on

Miller stepped down in 1995 to become the county athletic director, and Glenn Sasser became head coach for Crumpler's senior season.

New Hanover was only 4-6, but Crumpler shined. He earned a scholarship to UNC – which was funny for Sasser, who attended rival N.C. State.

"I wished every good football player would go to State, but the best place for a football player was where he'd be happy," Sasser said. "And UNC was. I don't think he really considered a whole lot of other schools."

Crumpler caught one pass as a freshman before being named second team All-ACC as a sophomore. He missed his junior season after tearing his ACL in spring practice. With football out of the immediate plan, Crumpler turned back to the track. He threw shot put in the spring of 1999 while recovering and placed second in the ACC Championships.

"I was glad to see him continue to do (track)," Bishop said. "I guarantee you it didn't take him long to get back in the swing of things."

Crumpler recovered, earning first team All-ACC honors in his final two seasons at UNC.

The Atlanta Falcons took Crumpler in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, and was roommates as a rookie with the No. 1 overall pick – Michael Vick. The two developed a chemistry on the scout-team offense.

"There were a lot of times I was just over-competing in practice and the coaches really didn't like that," Crumpler said. "Mike and I would just try to take over the scout team. It was fun for us, but we didn't really understand how things worked.

"But that helped prepare me for when it was my time to become a full-time starter. That kind of really built that bond."

The bond carried over to the starting lineup, and Crumpler was Vick's favorite target. The Falcons lost the NFC Championship game in 2004, one game shy of the Super Bowl. Crumpler moved on to Tennessee in 2008 and played his final season with New England in 2010. For his career, Crumpler caught 373 passes for 4,743 yards and 39 touchdowns.

Crumpler missed only five games in 10 seasons. He said the highlight of his career was never having to be carted off the field because of an injury.

"My body was done," Crumpler said of his retirement. "Three years later, I have no regrets about the decision I made. If I felt I could physically play, I would probably feel differently. But here I am three years removed from the game, having a hard time getting up and down steps."

On the other side

Through college and his early years with the Falcons, Crumpler always thought he'd settle in Wilmington when his career was finished.

Somewhere along the way, he fell in love in Atlanta. He still lives there with his wife, Jennifer, and their daughters Kendal (9), Ava (6) and Campbell (5).

Crumpler, who studied journalism and mass communications at UNC, is a sports talk host for a radio station in Atlanta.

"That's one thing about being retired: The clarity you get being away from the game is a whole lot different from the clarity you have when you're actually playing the game," Crumpler said. "Breaking down a game, it's the language I've known my whole life. It's just (saying it into) a microphone. And I love it."

Crumpler's time in Wilmington was short, but he made it count. In 2009, he gave $75,000 to help renovate Jap Davis Fieldhouse at New Hanover. He also helped fund a scoreboard in Brogden Hall. His most recent trip was in 2012, when he spoke at an event for the Brigade Boys and Girls Club, which Mitwol's mother orchestrated.

"He's always been a true friend," said Mitwol, who lived in Atlanta during part of Crumpler's time with the Falcons. "He's extremely grounded, and he's a family man. I have so much respect for that."

For Crumpler, getting inducted to Wilmington's Hall of Fame is an honor (one given to both of his high school football coaches). But he said it might mean more to his daughters, who get to see dad in a different light.

"They were so young as I was retiring and don't necessarily understand who I was on the field," Crumpler said. "For them, I was always dad. So every now and again when people come up to me and start having a dialogue, their ears perk up and they listen and try to figure out why this random person comes up to dad."

<p>Alge Crumpler still remembers his first conversation with Joe Miller.</p><p>"He looked at me and said, 'If you're gonna play here, you're gonna play all the sports,'" Crumpler said of the spring of 1984.</p><p>Crumpler had just moved to Wilmington from Greenville in the second semester of his sophomore year of high school and enrolled at New Hanover. Miller, the football coach and athletic director at the time, wanted to make sure the school's newest athlete – with eyes solely on the football field – knew how things worked at New Hanover.</p><p>"We've always been convinced that playing multiple sports is good," Miller said. "We believed in sharing athletes. Alge came in with a very, very good reputation."</p><p>As Crumpler went in search of a spring sport, he found an unexpected gem on the track. Crumpler excelled immediately in throwing events, eventually winning three state titles in discus and one in shot put. </p><p>Crumpler also played basketball for the Wildcats, but football always mattered most.</p><p>He attended North Carolina and was taken in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons to start a 10-year pro career with four Pro Bowl selections.</p><p>On Sunday, he will be inducted into the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall Of Fame. It marks a celebration of his achievements and a return to the home Crumpler thought, for part of his life, to which he would eventually return.</p><p><b>Coming to Wilmington</b></p><p>Crumpler had a tough time dealing with his move to Wilmington. His parents were separating, and Alge and his younger brother, Bryan, moved with their mother.</p><p>Crumpler's older brother, Carlester Jr., was playing at East Carolina and on his way to an NFL career of his own while staying near their father, Carlester Sr., who played four seasons in the NFL.</p><p>"Moving to Wilmington was one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make," Crumpler said. "My dream was to play ball somewhere my dad could watch me play every single week. It was extremely tough. But by the time I started working out with the football team, I started to acquire some really strong friendships that allowed me to get comfortable and adapt. They were kind of like my family away from home."</p><p>At the beginning of his junior year, Crumpler met Andy Mitwol. Despite being two years older than the freshman, they instantly became friends. Mitwol also played football, and he remembers Crumpler as outgoing and personable from the day they met.</p><p>"We became friends, and he was just so smart," Mitwol said. "Obviously he was athletic. But just extremely smart. I remember he would help me with my physics homework."</p><p>In addition to his throwing events, Crumpler also ran the 100 meters and 4x200 relay.</p><p>"What was so neat about Algernon, if something was hard, he wanted to do it," said Chuck Bishop, who coached Crumpler in track. "He wanted to do it better than anyone. He wanted to prove he could do it."</p><p>After his successful sophomore track season, Crumpler showed up for football ready to play. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Crumpler was a coach's dream. He had the size and skill to contribute in many different ways, but Miller wanted to make Crumpler earn his time.</p><p>New Hanover was in the midst of a wildly successful run, and Miller wanted Crumpler to understand.</p><p>"We won probably 46 out of 51 games prior to him coming, and we had some nasty buggers, too," Miller said. "He came in with a pretty good reputation, and our guys kind of got after him a little bit.</p><p>"He was coming to a pretty good program where it wasn't just he was going to dominate."</p><p>But he did. Crumpler lined up almost anywhere on the field – linebacker, defensive end, fullback, tight end, running back – and colleges took note.</p><p>Crumpler's athletic exploits were surpassed only by his demeanor: humble, outgoing and eager to make friends.</p><p>"I remember the day he walked into the office to sign in," said Vertha Dixon-Wright, the longtime girls basketball coach. "He was huge. He was a big kid. He didn't even know me. He just gave me a little smile.</p><p>"He would always just walk into the gym and say, 'Good morning, coach.'"</p><p>Even though he never received instruction from her in class or on the field, Crumpler made sure to find Dixon-Wright whenever he was in Wilmington, and he and Mitwol have remained close.</p><p>"It was such a joy to see him succeed," Dixon-Wright said. "And for a student who I never had in class, I would have done anything for him. I was probably just as proud as his mom was just to see him succeed."</p><p><b>Moving on</b></p><p>Miller stepped down in 1995 to become the county athletic director, and Glenn Sasser became head coach for Crumpler's senior season.</p><p>New Hanover was only 4-6, but Crumpler shined. He earned a scholarship to UNC – which was funny for Sasser, who attended rival N.C. State.</p><p>"I wished every good football player would go to State, but the best place for a football player was where he'd be happy," Sasser said. "And UNC was. I don't think he really considered a whole lot of other schools."</p><p>Crumpler caught one pass as a freshman before being named second team All-ACC as a sophomore. He missed his junior season after tearing his ACL in spring practice. With football out of the immediate plan, Crumpler turned back to the track. He threw shot put in the spring of 1999 while recovering and placed second in the ACC Championships.</p><p>"I was glad to see him continue to do (track)," Bishop said. "I guarantee you it didn't take him long to get back in the swing of things."</p><p>Crumpler recovered, earning first team All-ACC honors in his final two seasons at UNC.</p><p>The Atlanta Falcons took Crumpler in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, and was roommates as a rookie with the No. 1 overall pick – Michael Vick. The two developed a chemistry on the scout-team offense. </p><p>"There were a lot of times I was just over-competing in practice and the coaches really didn't like that," Crumpler said. "Mike and I would just try to take over the scout team. It was fun for us, but we didn't really understand how things worked.</p><p>"But that helped prepare me for when it was my time to become a full-time starter. That kind of really built that bond."</p><p>The bond carried over to the starting lineup, and Crumpler was Vick's favorite target. The Falcons lost the NFC Championship game in 2004, one game shy of the Super Bowl. Crumpler moved on to Tennessee in 2008 and played his final season with New England in 2010. For his career, Crumpler caught 373 passes for 4,743 yards and 39 touchdowns.</p><p>Crumpler missed only five games in 10 seasons. He said the highlight of his career was never having to be carted off the field because of an injury.</p><p>"My body was done," Crumpler said of his retirement. "Three years later, I have no regrets about the decision I made. If I felt I could physically play, I would probably feel differently. But here I am three years removed from the game, having a hard time getting up and down steps."</p><p><b>On the other side</b></p><p>Through college and his early years with the Falcons, Crumpler always thought he'd settle in Wilmington when his career was finished.</p><p>Somewhere along the way, he fell in love in Atlanta. He still lives there with his wife, Jennifer, and their daughters Kendal (9), Ava (6) and Campbell (5).</p><p>Crumpler, who studied journalism and mass communications at UNC, is a sports talk host for a radio station in Atlanta.</p><p>"That's one thing about being retired: The clarity you get being away from the game is a whole lot different from the clarity you have when you're actually playing the game," Crumpler said. "Breaking down a game, it's the language I've known my whole life. It's just (saying it into) a microphone. And I love it."</p><p>Crumpler's time in Wilmington was short, but he made it count. In 2009, he gave $75,000 to help renovate Jap Davis Fieldhouse at New Hanover. He also helped fund a scoreboard in Brogden Hall. His most recent trip was in 2012, when he spoke at an event for the Brigade Boys and Girls Club, which Mitwol's mother orchestrated.</p><p>"He's always been a true friend," said Mitwol, who lived in Atlanta during part of Crumpler's time with the Falcons. "He's extremely grounded, and he's a family man. I have so much respect for that."</p><p>For Crumpler, getting inducted to Wilmington's Hall of Fame is an honor (one given to both of his high school football coaches). But he said it might mean more to his daughters, who get to see dad in a different light.</p><p>"They were so young as I was retiring and don't necessarily understand who I was on the field," Crumpler said. "For them, I was always dad. So every now and again when people come up to me and start having a dialogue, their ears perk up and they listen and try to figure out why this random person comes up to dad."</p><p>Vince Nairn: 343-2262</p><p>On twitter: @starnewssports</p>